


Give up

by Seeyousoonmaybe



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 00:59:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16566545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seeyousoonmaybe/pseuds/Seeyousoonmaybe
Summary: This story takes place right after the first avenger movie.It's a story between Loki and a mutant girl. They both just want to find forgiveness.





	1. Chapter 1

My name is Saralyn and this is my story. A story of a girl who saw her life change in every possible way.

The sun is shining outside the huge window on the other side of the wall. I’m lying on my bed with my headphones on, listening to my favourite song. I love to just stay like this with my eyes closed. It’s my way to let go on everything and just escape. I’m already buried so deep in my thoughts, that I don’t even hear the knock on my bedroom door. Finally, after the person outside almost broke the door to get in, I put my headphones off and walk to open the door.

“Saralyn are you deaf? It’s been 10 minutes of me shouting like crazy!”  
“Sorry Tony I had my headphones on. What can I help you with?” I say to him with an apological look on my face.  
“Doesn’t matter... Meet me in the main room in 5.” He tells me before turning around to leave. I close my door and sigh. Great I just pissed off the closest person I have to a father.

I’ve been living in the Avenger tower with the entire team for several years now. Tony found me when I was at my worst, meaning living on the street after my parents kicked me out. They discovered my special “gift” as everyone calls it. It turns out that I can control the water and most specifically ice. Yes, I know what you are thinking, I’m a little bit like Elsa in the Disney movie Frozen. My parents were scared of me because I couldn’t control my powers and I couldn’t blame them for it. The avengers took me in without any fear or prejudice. They helped me control my powers and use them to help and save people in need. That’s how I became a part of the team. But despite this, I always find myself craving for my real parents. I loved them so much and I like to think that maybe one day, I’m going to see them again.

Following Tony’s request, I start heading for the living room. When I enter, I see the entire team already waiting. I sneak up to Banner who I fell the most comfortable speaking with. It’s not that I don’t like the others, on the contrary I really love and share a great friendship with everyone. It’s just that Banner is a very reserved person like me. We both like to just watch things from the corner and stay quiet until we really want to say something.  
“Hey Banner!” I smile at my friend.  
“Oh, hello Saralyn” he answers with a nervous expression.  
“What is happening?” I ask worried about the tension I feel in the room.  
“Today is THE day. Thor is bringing his brother Loki back on earth and we are going to have babysitting duty” he explains.  
“Oh my god! I totally forgot about that!”

After Loki tried to conquer Earth or Midgard as they call it, he was send back with Thor to Asgard in order to get the punishment he deserves. Unfortunately for the avengers, Odin decided to send Loki back on Earth to work with us and help saving people. We are the one who needs to make sure that he behaves. He’s going to stay with us until Odin can trust him again. To make this short, everyone on the team is really pissed off. I can’t complain about it yet because I didn’t have the pleasure to meet the dark god in person. I was sent to a mission in Europe during the battle of New York.

Suddenly, a bright light shines from the sky and we can see the figures of the two gods standing outside on the balcony. As they enter, I notice how different the two brothers actually are. Thor is blond and very tall and muscular. Loki on the other hand has dark long curled hair falling on his shoulders. His figure is skinnier but still athletic.

I barely listen to Thor introducing everyone, until my turn comes. I suddenly see Loki’s icy blue eyes looking right back at me and it send shivers down my spine. He looks like a predator ready to hunt his prey. I feel like he can read into my entire soul and it makes me really uneasy.

“... and this is Lady Saralyn. She has the power to manipulate water and more specifically, ice. I can see Loki’s eyebrows slightly raise by hearing my “gift”. A mischievous smirk playing on his lips. I decide to ignore the fear I start to feel and try my best to give him a genuine smile in return.

\----------------------------------

My thoughts are still spinning around as we head back to our rooms. My first encounter with the God of Mischief makes me confuse. The more I think about his piercing blue eyes full of hatred, the more I feel a deep pain inside my chest. It’s like I can see the hurt hiding deep down inside him and it fills me with sadness. That’s when I decide to give him a chance.


	2. Chapter 2

All the avengers are sitting around the table for breakfast the next morning. Everyone except Banner who decided to go to his lab earlier and Loki who was nowhere to be seen.  
“I have a bad feeling about all this. Are your sure this is a good idea Thor? I can’t trust your psychotic brother after what he did to my building!” Tony exclaims.  
“You mean the entire city” Steve pops in while narrowing his eyes at the billionaire.  
“Yeah, yeah” Tony replies, waving his hand in an arrogant manner.  
“You should not worry my friends” Thor says in his typical booming voice. “My brother is really trying to change and I assure you that no harm will come to anyone” he affirms with a huge confident smile.  
“You better be right, Pointbreak, or you’ll be paying for your brother’s mess the next time” Tony threats the god while pointing an accusing finger at him.  
“Guys, just stop being so dramatic!” I cut off the conversation in an exasperate voice. “We all know that Loki did bad things”  
“You think killing so many people in a so short amount of time can only be called a ‘bad thing’?” Natasha states while raising her eyebrows in disbelief.  
“The point is...” I continue ignoring her comment “that Loki has indeed a dark past, but we all do. The only thing that matters now is who he wants to be in the future. I think we should give him a second chance and see if he’s going to take it. Speaking of him like the worst killer isn’t going to help anyone. Don’t forget that he was probably under the influence of a creepy purple  
alien. All I’m asking for is to try and be civilised. You don’t need to be become his BFF but please just give him a chance to show us the real Loki, Thor constantly talked about. Now if you’ll excuse me, Banner is waiting for me in his lab.” I finish my little speech and leave the room, not seeing the illusion of the black hair god standing in the dark corner of the room starting to disappear.

\----------------------------------

“I can’t get it! Why are they already despising him? I mean, I’m a freaking mutant and there didn’t mind trusting me at all!” I continue to complain to Banner.  
I’m currently sitting in the laboratory, a syringe in my arm as Bruce tries to extract some blood in order to run some tests.  
“When you first came here, you hadn’t killed thousands of people already.” He simply states, before looking at the computer, waiting for the results.  
“I know but don’t we all have done bad things before we arrived? I mean Natasha was a Russian spy, Tony was the one selling mass destruction weapons... Even Steve killed a lot of people during the war. And I... I almost killed my entire family, because I couldn’t control my powers. A swell as you.” I conclude almost in a whisper. “But we decided to put our past aside and help people. Why can’t they let Loki do the same?” I finally ask.  
“You know Saralyn, Loki was the first one who directly decided to attack them. They fought against each other and that doesn’t play for his favour. You weren’t involved into this so, it makes sense that you’re willing to give him a chance but.... Believe me when I say, this guy can’t be trusted. I saw his mad face as he looked around the dying people. You need to be careful.” Banner warns me, looking me straight in the eyes, something he never did before.

I can’t find the right response to this statement. I know I wasn’t there when New York was attacked but I continue to think there is more behind this attack. I believe Loki wasn’t just working for the purple alien, named Thanos. Everyone wants to deny the fact that he could be under his influence. And by that, I mean that the alien literally controlled him, by any sort of threat. We are talking about the darkest and strongest living being of the entire galaxy after all. I could see so much hurt behind Loki’s eyes, that I can only imagine the nightmare he must have endured during the time he spend with Thanos.

“That’s not possible!” Bruce suddenly exclaims, bringing me back to reality. “What?” I ask slightly starting to panic as he continues to watch the screen.  
“Your results. It seems like your body is mutating again.” He states, while tapping on the keyboard, searching for any other explanation.  
“What?! No! It can’t be. I mean, I didn’t even felt something.” I desperately try to make him change his mind.  
“It seems like your body just stopped aging.” He continues, ignoring my comment.  
“Are you telling me I’m immortal?” I shout, my panic getting the best of me.  
“No, you’re not. You can be hurt or killed like any other human being. It just looks like you don’t age like you’re supposed to. Apparently, you’ll be able to live far more than just hundred years.”  
“How long exactly?” I ask in a blank voice.  
“I can’t tell. Maybe more like thousands of years? I need to do run more tests.” He explains in his scientific voice.

I look at the wall in front of me, trying to register this new information as well as her consequences.  
“I know this is a lot.” Banner says, while squeezing my hand for comfort. “Maybe we should leave it for today. Go back to your room and try to calm down.” He advises in a fatherly voice. I just nod to this, unable to find the right words to describe my feelings.

I jump off of my seat to exit the lab, my head filled with thoughts after this unexpected revelation.  
“Saralyn?” Bruce suddenly calls back to me.  
“Yes?” I ask turning around to face him again.  
“Promise me you’ll be careful. We still don’t know if Loki can be trust. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He confesses in a soft voice.  
I slightly smile at him before answering “I promise”. I turn around to leave the room, hiding my crossed fingers behind me as I enter the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

I turn around in my bed for what seems like the  
thousand time tonight. It’s almost midnight but I  
still can’t sleep. I stand up to make myself a cup  
of Tea. I enter the kitchen rubbing my eyes, with  
my pyjama still on. I yawn as I wait for the water  
to boil, don’t bothering to turn up the light.  
“Trouble sleeping, mortal?” I can’t help but  
scream at the sudden voice whispering just behind me. I turn around to see Loki standing just a few feet away from me.  
“Afraid of the dark?” He chuckles lightly, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
I would be lying if I say I’m not internally freaking out right now. It’s the first time I find myself in the same room as Loki without anyone around. He takes a step closer to me and I can’t help but take a step back.  
“Or are you afraid of something else?” he continuous to tease me. The moonlight makes him look like a huge shadow hovering over me, waiting for the right moment to attack. My heartbeat increase, like a prey knowing that she’s going to get killed by any moment.

I take a deep breathe to study myself. I’m an avenger for god’s sake. I’m not letting anyone (even a God) making me feel so powerless. Besides, I’ve already decided to help him and not let the other’s warnings impact me.  
“I couldn’t sleep so I decided to make myself some tea. Do you want some?” I ask in the most genuine tone I can handle right now. I hope he doesn’t notice my slightly shaky voice.  
He narrows his eyes at me, probably evaluating if I’m trying to poison him.  
“No, thank you” he replies in such a smoothie voice that it just feels like an insulting comment. “As you wish!” I reply, turning around again to prepare my own cup. I can’t help but feel nervous. Turning my back to him is literally the worst thing I could do right now but I want to show him that I trust him (or kind of).  
“What about you? Aren’t you supposed to be asleep as well?” I ask turning around to face him again.  
“I don’t need to sleep. I’m not a mortal” He responds with an annoying look on his face, spitting the last word like an insult.  
I decide to simply ignore it and take a sip of my tea.  
“I like to read when I have troubles sleeping, you know” I advise him.  
“Really?” he says in a bored voice. “The problem is, there isn’t any single book in this thing you call a building.” He says starting to walk away.  
“That’s because you don’t know where to find some” I shoot back at him.  
He stopes dead in his tracks.  
“And you do?” he asks turning around to study my face with his cold blue eyes.  
“Oh, I certainly do!” I smirk at him before heading for the elevator, my cup of tea still in hand.

\-----------------------

“Welcome to my private little library!” I exclaim, gesturing for him to enter.  
He slowly puts one feet in front of another until he reaches the middle of the room. I see his eyes scanning his surroundings, starting by the huge window in front of us, before moving slightly to the bookshelves along the wall containing thousands of books. They are a few couches in the middle of the room where he is currently standing. After a few minutes that felt like hours to me, Loki still doesn’t say anything.

“I know it’s not much. It’s my birthday gift from Tony. I couldn’t stop complaining about the facts that such a huge building didn’t contain a single library. I guess the one you had in Asgard must have been incredibly big...” I start rambling, playing with my fingers out of nervousness. “It should be enough, for now” he cuts me off mid-sentence. Although he still remains motionless, I don’t miss the hint of a smile playing on the corner of his mouth.

I’m almost proud upon seeing I could find something to make him feel a little more welcome. I silently grab the book I left on the small table last night, before heading for the couch facing the window. I sit down bringing my legs up to my chest. I take my time to admire the buildings and the stars shining above in the night sky while drinking my cup of tea before opening my book.

After a few minutes of searching through the bookshelves, Loki finally seems to find something readable and make himself comfortable on the sofa a few inches away from me. We both continue to read in silence until late in the night.

\-------------------------

A month has passed since Loki arrived in the tower. Let’s just say that Loki isn’t making thing easier by locking himself into his room all day. It seems like I’m the only one who actually saw him more than two minutes since he arrived. But that isn’t the worst part. Every single member of the team became a victim of Loki’s pranks. I mean, I know he is the God of mischief after all but still! Luckily for me, Loki decided to spare me. I think the fact that I’m willing to share my library with him definitely helped. We sealed a silent pact to leave each other alone. Loki came every single night in the library since the first time I showed it to him. We don’t need to speak. We just sit there to read in complete silence, both of us enjoying the peace.

\------------------------

I enter the library with my scratch book in hand. I hum a little to the music I just listened to, while heading for my usual spot. Loki is already sitting on the sofa, a book in hand. I’m not in the mood for reading. I prefer to draw while listening to my favourite songs.  
“What exactly are you doing, mortal?”  
I instantly stop my drawing to look up at Loki standing right behind me, a puzzled expression on his face. I just look at him wild eyes for a few seconds. The last time he spoke to me was a few weeks ago as I showed him the library. I try to recover from the shock, meanwhile Loki continuous to stare at me, waiting for an answer.  
“I’m scratching while listening to some music... Why?” I answer after a moment. “Hum...Would you mind stopping it? Your pen scratching on the paper is giving me trouble to read in peace.” He asks in a sweet but clearly peremptory voice.  
“Should I remind you that you’re the guest here? Your standing in my library so just be thankful that I didn’t kicked you out just yet.” I reply in the same tone. I’m not going to let some guy ordering me around just like that. I still hold my breath, not sure how he’s going to take that little revolt.  
To my own surprise, a smile starts to make his way to his face. He looks like a cat wanting to play with the mouse.  
“Hum... Maybe you’re not as boring as I thought you’d be” he says, with an evil spark in his eyes.

\--------------------------

That’s how we started to have our little conversation every evening. We mostly talk about books or the differences between Asgard and Earth. I really enjoy our little talks, discovering more about him and his life every single night. He’s very smart but also very funny when he starts to shift into Captain America’s suit to make fun of him. I’m starting to feel pretty comfortable in his company. Some might say we are slowly becoming friends.

One night, I finally find the courage to talk to him about New York.  
“Loki? Can I ask you something?” I say in a timid voice, putting my book aside.  
“What do you want to know?” he asks without even looking up from his own book.  
“Is it true that you were stuck on Thano’s planet right before New York?”  
I can already see his body starting to tense.  
“That’s none of your business, mortal” he answers in a stern tone.  
“I believe it, you know. I believe that you have been tortured for months by the most dangerous and cruel living being. I believe that you had no choice but follow his orders in order to protect your people and your family.” I state, my eyes never leaving him.  
“And what do you now about torture? I’m a monster. You better believe in this for your own sake” the god replies, finally looking up at me.  
“I may not know anything about torture, but I know the need to protect your family, even if there pushed you away. You may say otherwise, but deep down you truly care about your parents and your brother. I know the hurt in someone’s eyes when I see it. And you Loki, you are probably the most vulnerable and injured person I ever met.” I confess to him in a soft voice.

Loki doesn’t reply, he simply continues to stare right into my eyes, searching for a lie. He never found one. I meant every single word I said. I barely manage to see a small light of hope shining in his eyes, as he turns his full attention to his book again.  
I just sow the first seed leading to his forgiveness. Because the person Loki actually needed to forgive, was himself.


	4. Chapter 4

“Saralyn come on!!! Fury wants to speak with us in five minutes!”  
I turn around to bury my head under the covers again.  
“Come on just wake up!” Natasha continues to  
shout while shaking me out of my sweet  
dreams.  
“I’m coming” I groan in a still sleepy voice.  
“I’ll wait for you downstairs” she finally says before leaving my bedroom.

I take a quick shower before putting on my suit, looking almost exactly like Natasha’s. If Fury wants to see us, I’m sure I’m going to sit in the jet in less than two hours. It only takes me five seconds to bound my long-curled hair in a ponytail. I’m pretty excited to be honest. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a real mission and I’m starting to miss the adrenaline. I enter the room right in time to see Natasha and Clint already standing in front of the screen.  
“Your mission is simple, agents. You need to enter the Hydra facility to collect as more information as you can. They are lots of children being kidnapped lately and we need to know if it has something to do with Hydra. I will send you the details on the way.” Fury bluntly explains before cutting the conversation off.  
“Wow, he seems in a really good mood today!” Clint states, making me laugh as we make our way to the roof where the jet is already waiting for us.

\------------------------

The jet finally flies off and we programed the autopilot to reach our destination. Meanwhile, we are all standing in front of the little computer, reading the details Fury just send us.  
“Damn it! An underwater facility, really?!” I burst out desperately before I could stop myself. Both agents turn around, to look at me eyebrow raised in disbelief.  
“Don’t get me wrong, I know water is kind of my thing, but I didn’t choose my gift. I hate to swim since I almost drown as a child” I confess to my two teammates.  
“We can’t take our ship, it would drive to much attention towards us. The only way is to swim. Remember, our mission is to stay hidden and find the information we need.” Natasha states, ignoring my comment. I sigh before giving in.  
“Fine! Let’s get it over with.”

\--------------------------

I try to keep myself from panicking as we slowly reach the Hydra facility. I’m still not comfortable with the fact that we’re swimming in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I look around me, to make sure that Clint and Natasha are still following. I can see a trap on the top and try to open it. We all jump in, finally entering the facility. I look around to see, we landed in a small empty room. The walls are all grey and there is barely light piercing from under the door. “See, you’re still alive. For now.” Clint jokes.  
“Haha, so funny, really.” I reply in an annoyed voice.  
“Enough, kids. We have a mission to finish” Natasha reprimand. We take off our equipment before hiding it in the abandoned room we are currently standing in.  
“We better find a ship to escape. I doubt that we’ll have the time to put all this stuff on again, when we’ll be running for dear life.” I say in a sarcastic tone.  
“We better split up. We’re not sure where to find the central computer, so we better hurry.” Natasha orders before leaving the room.  
“Always the professional one.” Clint sighs next to me. “See you soon little one” he exclaims before running out.

I pop my head out to check the area, before taking the corridor on my left. I suddenly hear voices coming my way. Probably Hydra agents. I look around me to see a small notch in the wall. I quickly slide into it, hiding myself in the shadow. I hold my breath as the agents continue to walk along the corridor until they turn around the corner. I step out of my hiding place to continue my investigation. I wish Loki could be here with me. His bored attitude and his sarcastic comments would be a perfect distraction. I can’t help but feel nervous, as if someone is constantly watching me.

I can see a door at the other end of the corridor and head for it. I try to open the door, but it’s apparently close. I take a deep breath before putting my hand on the knock, freezing it from the inside before it finally breaks, giving me access to a dark room. I narrow my eyes as I hear soft cries. I look around the small room before I finally spot a small shadow in the far corner. A little girl is sitting there, facing the wall. I can’t see her face, but her trembling body only confirms the fact that she’s crying.

“Hey, it’s okay I’m here to help. No one’s going to hurt you anymore” I try to comfort her, while slowly entering the room to reach her. “Shh... look at me. Everything’s going to be just fine.” I continue in a soothing voice, stretching my hand in front of me to touch her. Suddenly, the girl stops her crying and I stop dead in my tracks. She turns around to face me in the blink of an eye. I stand in complete shock, looking into her bright red eyes full of anger and hatred. I don’t have the time to react, as she put her hand on my forehead, knocking me out.

\----------------------------

The alarm went off, just as both shield agents reach a ship. Natasha jumps on the driver seat, while Clint continues to check the area to find Saralyn.  
“Saralyn, can you hear me? You better hurry, we’ve been discovered, we need to escape. Now!” Clint shouts in his earpiece, but still no sound of Saralyn.  
“I can’t reach her!” Clint informs Natasha in a desperate voice. “Hydra is coming, we need to go!”  
“We can’t leave her behind!” Natasha shouts back at him.  
“We don’t have the choice. We have the right information, we need to follow the orders. We’ll come back for her, but now, there is nothing we can do” he states.  
Natasha sighs, knowing that Clint is right. She finally starts the engine and leave the facility and her friend behind without another world. Both agent’s head filled with regrets.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: a little bit of torture.
> 
> Sorry but my best friend asked me to make this scene. Don't worry it's quite short. :)

I open my eyes only to be met with darkness. My vision needs some time to adjust to this surrounding. I try to move but my arms and legs are bounded to the table I’m lying on.  
The air around me is slightly moisty, so I must be held capture in some sort of cave. I continue to look around me. The walls are entirely blank except for a small and dusty door on my left. I take a deep breath to calm down a bit. It’s not my first time being captured but I’ve never been tortured before. I’m starting to get a really bad feeling about this. The ropes on my arms and legs are bounded so tied, that no escape can be considered right now. I close my eyes to concentrate on my powers but it feels like something inside me is locked. I’m starting to realise in how much trouble I really am, when the door on my left slowly opens with a creak.

Two scientists, a man and a woman enters the room with a box in hand. I can barely see their faces because of the mask covering half of it. They are both wearing white medical coat. My eyes widen at the meaning of this attire and I slowly start to panic, struggling against my ropes to run away.

\-------------------------

Loki is already pacing in front of the screen in the small dark room, feeling every passing second like an hour. He’s never been so grateful for being an insomniac. Earlier that night, he couldn’t help but feel like he was about to die out of boredom. It’s only been a day, but it felt like years to him without speaking to someone. Trues been told, you were the only one in the entire tower who actually shared proper conversations with him. After an entire day of reading in the library, he felt like he was trapped in his cell again. Few hours had passed and he still couldn’t sleep. He was lying on his bed, looking at the celling, when an old magic trick crossed his mind. He closed his eyes to concentrate. If he was lucky enough, he could enter her mind, even if she was miles away, to check on you.

He wasn’t prepared to that kind of reaction. What she was going through was close to what he felt like, back there with Thanos. She was hurting.  
He was able to see the small room, she was kept in. The two scientists are standing on each side of her, their closes already covered in blood. The woman took a knife out of her box. Loki could feel the pain, as she starts to slide the blade along Sarlyn’s forearm, making her blood dripping to the ground. She screamed, her voice echoing through the dark room. Tears are falling from her eyes, blurring her vision. The man on her left starts to cut off small pieces of her skin, with the help of a little scalpel. The pain was unbearable. She struggles against her bonds, desperate to escape this nightmare.

Loki opens up his eyes, his body covered in sweat. He takes a few seconds to study his breath before ripping the covers off of him.  
“Saralyn is in trouble, we need to help her!” he shouts while opening the bedroom door of a still asleep Captain America. “She has probably been kidnapped and her jailers are torturing her. I need the entire team downstairs. Now!” he orders, before smashing the door behind him as he leave. The last sentence was like an electroshock, making Steve jump out of his bed to gather the avengers.

\---------------------------

It took the team only a few minutes to stand in front of the screen, waiting for Director Fury’s report on the matter.  
“I’m afraid that Loki’s suspicions are confirmed. Agent Romanoff contacted me a few minutes ago to inform me of Saralyn’s capture. Apparently, the hydra agents managed to lock her out into their new location. Agent Romanoff and Barton barely escaped thanks to a stolen ship. Luckily, they were able to find the wanted information. Apparently, Hydra found two scientists who decided to use children in order to turn them into mutants. We suppose they only kidnapped Saralyn because of her powers. They probably want to extract them from her or a least try to understand they origins, in order to create more mutants.”

He takes a deep breath before adding. “I put my best agents on this. I will contact you as soon as they find something. You better be ready.” Fury finally says before leaving nothing but a black screen in front of the avengers.  
“So that’s it? We are just going to sit there and wait?!” Tony exclaims, looking at each team member in disbelieve.  
“We need to follow the orders. We’re going to wait for further information. There is nothing else we can do.” Steve replies.  
“I’m afraid he’s right, Tony” Banner pops in. “We don’t know anything about this hydra agents or Saralyn’s mission. We don’t even know where to start. I think it’s for the best if we concentrate to be ready to save her as soon as we know her location”.  
“I think Banner is right” Thor speak up, in a booming voice. “Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming battle”.  
“So, the matter is settled. We both better head off to our room and start to pack our bags” Steve orders before leaving the room, followed by the rest.

Loki stayed silent during the entire meeting. He stood in the far corner of the room, strait like a statue, looking thinks from the distance. His face wouldn’t show any emotions, while on the inside, the god was literally boiling.

Thor was the only one who noticed his brother’s behaviour. For knowing him so many years know, he can tell that Loki is trying to hide the storm of feelings inside him. That’s why he decided to follow him to his room.  
“Brother, look you don’t have to act like this. I know you are hurt. I know that patience isn’t your strong point, but it’s the best we can do for now. You want to help her and I understand...”

“No, you don’t understand anything!!” Loki shouts, turning to face his brother with a terrible expression plastered on his face. His eyes are full of tears, his entire body trembling. The anger spreading in his veins is making it hard for him to contain himself.  
“Please, just leave.” He orders his brother in a more calmly but still cold voice.  
“Loki, I promise you, no harm will come to her. We are going to find her...” The blond hair god tries to comfort him. Instead of a reply, he’s only met with a heavy silence as Loki already turned his back at him again. Thor looks at the ground, his expression full of hurt, before exiting the room.

Loki is feeling so powerless and weak. He couldn’t protect the only person he really cared about, beside his mother. Loki would never admit it but he considers her as a friend. She was the only one making his life on earth slightly bearable and he is not going to let some silly organisation taking that away from him. It’s been too long since he found someone who liked him for who he was.

\-------------------------

Three days has passed and still no sign of Saralyn. Natasha and Clint were back at the compound, waiting with the rest of the team. They are all starting to get sick of waiting but there really was nothing else they could do.  
“To all the avengers: the shield found Saralyn’s location. You need to head to the landing area immediately.” Jarvis’ voice echoes through the tower.  
The avengers and Loki immediately started to run to the jet, to be able to reach it in a matter of seconds.  
“Do when know the exact location?” Steve asks Natasha, leaning on the computer board.  
“A lost depot in Seattle” she responds, “be ready guys, we won’t go home without her this time.”

\-------------------------

Loki step out of the jet in his full Asgardian attire. The helmet on his head is clearly a sign of his superiority. Every single agent standing on his way is going to see his life end. His expression becoming on off complete madness, he starts to run towards the abandoned depot, followed by the avengers.

The Good of Mischief is merciless as expected. He fights his way to the entrance by using his daggers and helmet in a killing dance. The last Hydra agent is running towards him, with his face showing nothing but hatred. Loki take a tight hold on his helmet, only to swing it in the wanted direction, ripping the last agent’s throat open.

Suddenly, the area is met with complete silence. The avengers as well as Loki are standing in the middle of the battlefield, with almost thousands of dead agents lying around them. They are all covered in blood, but it seems to be their enemies’.

They all finally head to the entry, blowing the door open. The depot seems to be empty.  
“The scientists are probably long gone. We can only hope that Saralyn isn’t of any use anymore, so that they abandoned her here. We need to check every room.” Steve orders.

Almost on hour has passed and still no sign of Saralyn.  
“This can’t be possible. She need to be here somewhere!” Tony shouts angrily.  
“Stay calm, man of Iron. I’m sure we will get to her very soon” Thor tries to keep Stark in check.  
“Wait, what is this thing on the ground?” Clint suddenly exclaims, approaching the dark corner of the room. He kneels right next to a trap, covered of dirt. He opens it up, to look into the dark tunnel hiding under it.  
“Guys, I think I just found something interesting. The tunnel is very strait. I suggest only a few of us get down, while the others wait up hear.” Clint says before jumping into the hole, soon followed by Natasha and Loki.

Loki casts a spell to light up the dark tunnel, allowing them to see a small door at the other end. The god is the first one to reach it and he slowly turns the door latch. His blood run cold at the sight in front of him. Saralyn is lying on a huge table in the middle of the room, unconscious, her body barely covered by a medical coat. Her entire skin is covered in blood and bruises. Loki thought she was already dead, until he approaches to see her chest slightly rising, as she heavily continues to breath. Without a word, Loki takes his green cloak off, to cover her body as best as he could, giving her some sort of dignity. He slowly lifts her up into his arms, with a tenderness no one knew he possessed.

I slowly open my eyes at the contact, only to be met by Loki’s beautiful blues eyes, filled of concern. I can feel his strong arms around me, holding me close to him. I sigh happily, finally feeling safe, before falling unconscious again.

\--------------------------

“Look who’s waking up!” I hear a voice whisper. I try to open my eyes but the light is blinding me. My entire body feels sore but at least I don’t feel the pain I used to feel. I blink a few times before opening my eyes. I look around me to see the entire team looking at me with a smile on their face. I’m lying on a white bed, probably in the medical bay of the tower. I let out a huge sigh of relief. I’m home again.  
“We are all so happy you’re okay, Saralyn. Leaving you behind was probably the worst thing Clint and I ever made. We are so sorry.” Natasha apologises. She sits right next to me on my bed, avoiding eye contact to hide her shame.  
I reach out to her arm, making her turn around to look at me properly.  
“It’s okay, I know you didn’t had a choice. You all risked your life to save me and I can’t be more grateful for that.” I smile weakly at her, and the rest of the team, trying to show them how much it means to me.  
“It’s good to have you back, Saralyn” Natasha smiles while squeezing my hand.

Everyone starts to speak and laugh loudly, happy to finally let go of all the pressure. In the middle of the tumult, I slowly turn my head towards Loki leaning against the back of his chair with his legs crossed, looking intensely at me, like he’s afraid to miss any kind of reaction coming from me. I give him a small smile before muttering a “Thank you”, to which he only replies with his signature mischievous smirk.


	6. Chapter 6

A few weeks have passed and I’m slowly recovering from my many injuries. I’m not ready to start my daily training again, but I can finally walk on my own. I still feel so weak sometimes, that I’m mostly staying in bedroom. I just walk out of the bathroom when I hear a knock on my door. Tony pups his head inside without even waiting for a response.

“Hey kiddo! How are you feeling today?” he asks while  
entering my room.  
“I’m quite alright, thanks.” I reply, giving him a reassuring smile. He looks nervous, I can tell. He’s constantly clearing his throat as if he’s struggling to find his words.  
“Is there anything you wanted to tell me?” I ask, intending to help him speak up.  
“Yeah, actually there is. I think it’s best if you sit down first” he says, while gesture to my bed. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to figure out what exactly is going on.  
“You’re freaking me out! Just tell me what’s wrong” I press him, still standing in the middle of my room.  
He clears his throat one last time before speaking.  
“Your father contacted me earlier. He wants to meet with you here at the compound.” He finally confesses, looking anywhere but me.  
“Oh” is all I can answer. I slowly sit down on my bed, playing with my fingers out of nervousness. “Did he say why?”  
“No, I’m sorry. He just told me it was an important matter. That’s all.” He answers, while sitting next to me. “The choice is all yours. Take your time to think it through.” He advises, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.  
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for years now. I can’t wait any longer.” I turn my head to look into Tony’s eyes. “Could you tell him to meet me this afternoon?”  
“Of course, I can. Anything for you.” He answers, giving me a hug. “I’m so happy for you” he says before standing up to leave the room.

I let myself fall onto my bed as soon as the door closes, smiling like an idiot. It’s finally happening. I can go back to my previous life with my parents by my side.

\------------------------------

I’m pacing in the main living room for what feels like hours. The other avengers are sitting all across the room, watching me. Even Loki is sitting on a chair in the far corner, reading a book like he has no care in the world.  
“Saralyn, you need to calm down. Everything is going to work perfectly fine.” Bruce tries to comfort me.  
“I know, it’s just... I don’t know... I’m so excited and really happy to know my father wants me back... It’s just... I’m also scared to be disappointed. I dreamed of this moment so many times that I wouldn’t bear to be pushed away.” I confess, struggling to find my words.  
“No one is going to push you away. Trust me, everything’s going to be okay.” Tony respond, smiling at me. I look at him and feel so much gratitude towards this man who gave me the chance to start a new life when I thought everything was lost. I walk towards him and wrap my arms around his middle to hug him. That’s when I hear someone clearing his throat.

I slowly let go of Tony to face the person standing a few feet behind me. I can’t help but stare. His face feels so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. His hair is now slightly grey and he has more wrinkles around his eyes. Yet it still feels like I just left him yesterday. I wanted to run and throw myself into his arms but I hold myself back. I don’t want to scare him.  
“Hello, father.” I say in a small whisper.  
“Hello, Saralyn” he replies, avoiding eye contact. I feel a little hurt by his attitude but I don’t want to push him. Maybe he’s just a little bit shy due to the strange situation we both find ourselves in.

“We should leave you two alone.” Natasha suddenly says, while standing up. She’s soon followed by the rest of the team.  
“No, don’t go!” my father suddenly screams, making us all look at him in surprise. “I mean, you can’t stay if you’d like. You are all Saralyn’s friend after all...” he adds in a more calmly but still shaky voice.  
They all sit down again and I can see Natasha narrowing his eyes at him suspiciously. I decide to ignore it to concentrate on our conversation again.  
“So, where is mother? Is she alright?” I ask, trying to change the topic.  
“Your mother is alright but she couldn’t come. I’m sorry.” He responds, lowering his head to look at the ground.  
“Oh”. I must say I’m a bit disappointed. However, the excitement is still there and I can’t contain myself any longer. “It’s okay, I’m sure she’s as excited as I am. I’m so happy to see you father. I can’t wait to see our house again. Tell me, is my bedroom still pink? Oh god, I can’t wait to go home and start to...”  
“Saralyn, that’s not why I’m here.” My father suddenly interrupts me in my rambling. He finally looks up at me, handing me a paper. “I need you to sign this please.”

I feel a knot in my stomach as I start reading the paper. Everything in the room felt silent. That’s when it strikes me. My father wanted the avengers to stay in the room because he was scared to be alone with me. I’m slowly starting to feel sick as realisation settles in.  
“Saralyn look, I’m sorry but I need to protect my family. I can’t risk seeing you harm any of them. By signing these papers, I want to make sure that you’ll never try to contact us again.”

I feel like someone just punched me in the face. I want to wake up from this terrible nightmare. I just want these to be over. I walk to the countertop and sign the papers, handing them back to him without another word.  
“I’m really sorry.” He whispers before walking away.

“What’s her name?” I ask, my voice void of any emotion. “What’s my sister’s name?”  
He doesn’t even look back at me as he steps into the elevator, the doors closing right after him.

The silence gets heavier as the seconds went by. No one knows what to say. The just sit there looking at me with a sad expression on their faces, waiting for my reaction. I’m standing there felling like a robot. I feel like darkness is slowing eating up my last emotions. That’s when I lock eyes with Loki, still sitting in the corner with his book on his lap. His face is emotionless like a statue but I can see it in his eyes. The compassion he feels towards me for living the same rejection as he did. We are both unwanted child who tried their best to be loved by their family. What we didn’t know was that it was already a long-lost battle.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I need some time alone to handle the storm in my head. I don’t wait for the elevator, preferring to take the stairs. I jump into my car as I reach the ground floor. I drive as fast as I can until I reach a lake outside New York city. I found this peaceful place during a mission a long time ago. I step out of the car and wait until my legs are halfway into the water before screaming until my longs give out. I feel like something just broke inside of me as I let go of all my sadness.

\--------------------------------

It’s already late when I finally open the door to the library. My body is completely sore from all the crying and screaming. I feel so numb inside. It only took a few minutes to destroy all of my dreams. I can’t seem to see the light in the depression I feel myself falling into. I just feel so alone and rejected. I stumble into the room and let myself down on the floor, my back against the couch. I bring my legs up to my chest and bury my face into my arms to keep me safe from the world.

I don’t even hear the footsteps coming closer to me until they stop right next to me. Feeling a presence, I lift my head up to meet Loki’s bright blue eyes. He sits himself down next to me and takes my hand to intertwine our fingers.

“Trust me, as long as I can call you my friend, you’ll never be alone” he whispers slightly to me after long minutes of complete silence. Tears of relieve are making their way to my eyes as I hear these words. Loki and I are both uncommunicative people and we don’t need words to know we are both there for each other. We both just stay there, watching the city lights while I’m still holding onto his hand for dear life.


	7. Chapter 7

I still feel a little bit groggy as I wake up in my bed the next morning. Wait, my bed? The last thing I remember is sitting next to Loki in the library. Did he care me back to bed when I was asleep? It seems like the only valuable explanation. The simple thought brings a small smile on my lips. I really am Loki to have the God of Mischief as a friend. There are so many similarities between us, it seems like fate bound us together.

My stomach begins to growl, giving me no choice but to find some food. I jump from the bed, still wearing my jeans and t-shirt from yesterday. I’m immediately greeted by the two men I know I can always count on. Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. There are both sitting around the kitchen counter, looking worriedly at the cups of coffee in front of them. The men immediately look up as they hear me enter the room.  
“Hey, Saralyn. Look, I’m so sorry for what happened yesterday. I shouldn’t had let him meet with you without knowing what he really wanted...” Tony starts to apologise.  
“It’s okay, I know it’s not your fault. It was silly of me to think they would ever want me back after all these years. Maybe this was exactly what I needed to finally let go of the past. It still hurts but I know I can move on.” I explain. “Now, if you still want me here, I’ll be really happy to stay in the avenger compound for a little longer” I say with a shy smile, looking at the ground. I suddenly feel Tony coming closer, engulfing me in a fatherly hug. I return his embrace, holding on to him for comfort.  
“You know you’re always welcome here, kiddo” he whispers kissing my temple. I turn my head to lock eyes with Bruce, still sitting on his chair, looking at us with a shy but still loving smile on his face.

\--------------------------

“Aaaand dodge!” Steve orders, as I lower my head to doge is last punch.  
“Great job, Saralyn!” he exclaims as I look up at him with a shaky breath. Steve was kind enough to train me in hand in hand combat, in order to help me recover. I met with him after my breakfast and we’ve been training for hours now. My body is covered in sweat and I’m starting to feel weak again.

“We trained enough for today. It’s only been a few weeks and you’re still not as strong as you’d like to be. You need to be careful. You’re not completely healed yet.” He says in a fatherly voice, leading me to a nearby bench. We both take a sip of water while looking at the other agents training around the room.  
“Tell me, Saralyn. Why is Loki reading in the training room today?” Steve finally asks me. I turn my head to look at the god, sitting near the window with a book in hand, oblivious at his surroundings.  
“I don’t know, Cap’. Why don’t you just ask him?” I reply with a shrug.  
“Doesn’t matter.” Steve mutters. I roll my eyes at him while getting up to talk with Loki, Steve following close behind.

“Hey, Loki! What are you doing in the training room? Afraid someone’s going to harm me? I knew you were a real prince charming” I tease him.  
“Don’t give yourself so much credit, mortal.” He responds, in his typical annoyed voice. He slowly put his book on his lap, to look at us. “Apparently, my brother is afraid I won’t be able to fight when the time will come.” He explains while waving his hand in despise. “He asked me to spend more time in the training room and that’s exactly what I’m doing” he smirks mischievously.  
The caring and emotional Loki is already gone, replaced by the cold and bored black hair god. He may act like this in front of other people but I know the true Loki.  
“Maybe you should take your brother’s advice more seriously. It would be such a pity for you if I kick your ass during a training session” I tease him with a fake pitiful expression.  
“It would be my honour to kick yours, little one” he replies, giving me his best predatory expression. I can’t help but let out a laugh, making Loki’s eyes glinting from the successful reaction. I feel like it’s been a while since I allowed myself to joke around and smile.

“Sorry to interrupt but I need to inform you that I won’t be the one training you tomorrow, Saralyn” Steve suddenly pops in.  
“Wait, what? One day of training and you’re already done with me?” I exclaim, looking at him desperately.  
“I’m sorry but Fury is sending me on a mission. Don’t worry, I found someone willing to help you. Agent Grand is going to train you for the upcoming week.” He informs me, with a proud smile on his face.  
“Are you kidding me?! You’re leaving me with a psychopath?!” I shout at him. His smile immediately disappears, replaced by a worried expression.  
“What are you talking about?” he asks confused.  
“He was the one training me when I first arrived. He’s the hardest trainer alive, believe me. He’s making you work until you collapse! No one wants to go on mission with him, let alone train with him” I explain to him.  
“Don’t be silly, Saralyn. I’m sure it’s going to work just fine. I promise you on my life that he’s not going to be too harsh” Steve says to me in a reassuring voice, before grabbing his bag to leave.  
“Better start digging your grave soldier” I mutter under my breath, making Loki chuckle.

\---------------------------

I can’t hold back a groan as I sit down next to Loki the next day, with my bottle of water in hand.  
“Is something troubling you? Your fuming brain is making so much noise that I can’t concentrate on my current reading” he says in an annoyed voice.  
“This guy is a living nightmare! He’s lucky I’m still injured or I would have punched him to death by now” I fume before taking a sip of water.  
“So much violence coming from such a tiny creature” Loki chuckles in a smoothie voice making me even angrier.  
“It’s not funny, Loki!! I try my best despite my aching body. He’s making me feel like I lost so many of my skills back there when I was kidnapped. I need to start my training all over again. It seems like this man is unbeatable” I finish in a tired and desperate tone.  
“That’s because he’s never met a god before” Loki says before getting up to join the training.

\---------------------------

After almost two hours of instance battle, Loki finally gives the last strike. It was a hand in hand combat without any magic. The god couldn’t count on his illusions and let’s be honest, he really didn’t need any of his tricks to win. He’s movement were so fast and still so graceful he almost made it look like a dance. Everyone is staring at him wide eyes.  
“I think I just won this part, mortal” Loki states while looking down at the breathless agent with a triumphal smirk on his face.  
Agent Grand is literally covered in sweat while Loki still looks like he didn’t even fight at all. I can’t help but stare at him with my mouth wide open in disbelief.

Suddenly, all the other agents around the training room start to applause. I can’t help but follow their lead, almost wanting to see another round. Loki slowly leans near Agent Grand’s head to whispers something into his ear. I can’t understand what he’s telling him for the cheers and talking still haven’t stopped now. I see the fallen agent’s skin slowly turning white as Loki finally departs with a terrifying cold look. I narrow my eyes, confused about what just happened.

I continue to look at Loki as he makes his way towards the door, trying to understand what he just did. The black hair god sends a devilish smile my way before leaving the training room. I can’t help but laugh out loud at this. Loki would probably kill me if he knew but I really think of him as a prince in shining armor right now.

\------------------------------

“Hey Thor!” I great him as he opens his door. “I heard you wanted to see me?”  
“Yes, Lady Saralyn. If you don’t mind, I’d like to do it in a more private place” he says while gesturing for me to enter his room.  
“Sure” I reply, before entering. It the first time that I find myself in there and I take my time to look around. The room is painted in red and gold and I see Mjolnir hanging on a hook against the wall. There isn’t any real decoration in there beside the few furniture. Thor clearly doesn’t spend much time in his bedroom. I turn around to face him as I hear him clear his throat. “Sorry, what was that you wanted to talk about?” I ask him, a little bit confused.  
He makes a step towards me and put his two large hands on my shoulders making me feel really tiny.  
“I just wanted to thank you” he tells me with a huge smile plastered on his face.  
“Me?” I ask in disbelief.  
“Yes, you, Lady Saralyn. I never saw my brother as calm and serene in years. Your friendship with him is clearly making him feel like he belongs somewhere. You definitely showed him the respect and care I failed to give him. My brother is slowly healing from and it’s all because of you, my Lady” he explains in a serious but still happy voice.  
I can’t help but smile back at him.  
“It’s not much. I just gave him a chance to show me his true self, that’s all.”  
“And that is more than anyone had done in his life so far” he confesses, looking at the ground with a guilty look on his face.  
I squeeze his hand still laying on my shoulder for comfort. “You tried your best, don’t ever doubt it” I tell him seriously. I suddenly feel like my bones are going to break into thousand pieces as the blond hair god engulfs me in a bear hug.  
“You really are everything but ordinary. I understand why my brother likes your company so much.” He says while letting go of me. “Now if you would excuse me, I have an important meeting to attend. My father wants to speak with me about my brother’s fate” Thor informs me.  
“Sure. I see you soon then” I say waving him goodbye as we both I leave the room to go separate ways.

“Oh, and Thor?” I call back at him.  
“Yes, lady Saralyn” he responds turning his head back to me.  
“Did you ask Loki to train more often?” I ask him, curiosity getting the best of me.  
“I can’t remember doing such a thing. Why?” the replies, clearly confused.  
“I knew it!” I whisper to myself, before walking towards my bedroom again, a small smile playing on my lips.


	8. Chapter 8

I’m lying on my bed in Avenger tower. It’s been a few months since the avengers came to save me from Hydra. I needed to rest after my training with Rogers this morning. A little time along in my bedroom was all I was craving for when I got out of the training room. It’s already dark outside but I still haven’t move from my spot.

I’m about to fall asleep as I suddenly hear two voices screaming. The noise was echoing through the entire floor, breaking my peaceful nap. I can’t understand a single word but I guess that humans couldn’t possibly be that loud. I jump off of my bed with a groan and start heading to the door. The noise is already fading, as I open it.

I turn into the hallway before spotting the person I’m looking for.  
“Thor! Is everything alright? Have you seen Loki?” I ask the blond hair god.  
“No, I haven’t. We had an argument earlier so...” he confesses with a broken expression. “I’m so sorry Thor” I apologise while giving him a hug.  
“I try my best to please him. I want to see the Loki I knew as a child. He’s my brother and it seems like I can’t find the right words.”  
“I know you both love each other. Sometimes life is difficult but you are always there for each other and that won’t change anytime soon.” I try to comfort him.  
“Thank you, Saralyn” he responds, hugging me back. My brother and I are very lucky to call you our friend.”  
“I’m sure everything will be alright soon” I add as I let go of him. I give him one last smile and squeeze his shoulder before heading back to find Loki.

\-----------------------------

I can feel the tension as I open the door. It looks like a storm had made his way to the library. The books and papers are spread around the room. The sofas and chairs are lying on the ground. I barely see the shadow standing in the middle of the chaos, the moon being the only light in the dark room.  
“Loki? Is everything alright? I just spoke to Thor and...”  
“What do you want?” he cuts me middle sentence, with his back turn to me.  
“I just wanted to check on you” I confess in a calming voice.  
“I don’t need your presence. Leave me alone, mortal.” He split at me, his voice full of anger. “Loki, just tell me what happened? I want to help you...” I say soothingly while approaching him.

I try to put my hand on his arms but he harshly pushes me away, final facing me with a look of hurt and weakness that I never saw on him before. He backs away to the other end of the room. “I’m a monster Saralyn. Do you know my true nature? I’m not even Asgardian. How can they talk about family when they only saved me for their own interest? Everyone looks at me like I’m just some sort of abomination when all I ever wanted was my family’s respect.” He yells, turning to me with tears stinging in his eyes.

I’m not just mentally but also physically hurt by the sight. My heart is aching in my chest and I can’t bear the pain I see him struggling against. I slowly make my way over to him.  
“Don’t come near me. I’m only going to hurt you. You shouldn’t have given me a chance in the first place” he says, his voice full of despair.  
“You’re not a monster, Loki. You’re not going to hurt me” I respond, still making my way over to him.

Suddenly, the look on his face changes. His eyes become bright red while his skin turns to a dark blue. I stop dead in my tracks. I would lie if I say I’m not shocked.  
“See? I’m not Asgardian. This is my true form. I’m a Jotun.”  
I soon recover and start heading towards him again, stretching my hand in front of me. He quickly backs away, avoiding my touch again.  
“Are you insane? I’m a frost giant. I can kill you with a single touch. Don’t come any closer.” I ignore his warnings and put my hand on his forearm. My fingers become lightly blue but it fades away within seconds.

“What?! No, that’s not possible. Your skin is supposed to burn from the cold...” he looks at me, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelieve.  
“I’m a mutant, remember? So, the frost is kind of my thing” I reply smiling genuinely at him. “You told me I wasn’t a monster and I believed you. Now it’s your turn to believe me.” I say stroking my thumb over his cheek. “Stop living in the past. The choices you make in the present are the one who matters for the future. You made bad choices? Who didn’t? You’re here now and you have the opportunity to make things right. Don’t let that chance fade away. And about your origins, I couldn’t care less. You are still the same person to me and that won’t change. You are my closest friend and I can’t lose you.”

Loki is looking into my eyes, as if he’s searching for any clue making him believe I just lied. But I didn’t. I meant every single word I said. He must have come to the same conclusion because he slowly wraps his arms around me burying his face into my neck.  
“Do you mind telling me what the argument with Thor really was about?” I ask Loki in a whisper. I’m scared of another outburst but I just need to know.  
“The Allfather wants to put me back in my cell on Asgard” he answers in a low and cold voice. I reply by holding him even closer to me, afraid to watch him disappear if I ever let him go.


	9. Chapter 9

I wake up in the next morning, still lying on the couch in the library. Loki is nowhere to be seen. I stretch and yawn before heading to the empty living room. I’m just about to put some milk into my cereals as I hear footsteps quickly approaching. I turn around and almost drop my breakfast as I come face to face with Captain America.

“Saralyn! It’s finally happening! We found the location of the Hydra facility. We need to find the others. Meet downstairs as quick as you can.” He orders me, excitement clear in his voice before turning around to leave.  
I put my bowl on the countertop without another word and start running like crazy to get the other.

\-----------------------

Rogers is already speaking with Director Fury on the screen in front of him as I enter the room with the rest of the team following close behind.  
“So, what’s up Fury?” Tony asks with his legendary nonchalance.  
The man on the screen just rolls his eyes before starting to explain his latest discovery.  
“As you know, I choose our best agents to try to find the location of the Hydra scientists that kidnapped Saralyn a month ago. Thanks to them, we finally have an answer. They were able to trace them a week ago, to find their latest facility.”  
The image of Director Fury is suddenly replaced by an old building, looking like a lost bunker in the middle of a forest.  
“It seems like they choose to settle their laboratory in Sweden. I will send you the exact location on the screen later on. You need to be careful. According to my agents, the building is well guarded and almost unbreakable. But since you are all anything but ordinary agents, it shouldn’t be a problem. Agents Rogers?”  
“Yes, Sir.” The soldier replies, taking a step closer to the screen.  
“You’re in charge. You better save these kids and take these basters down.” Fury says with a meaningful look before the screen goes black again.  
“Okay, guys. Let’s talk about strategy.” Steve says turning to all of us. They all encircle the table in front of us, as I lock eyes with Loki a devilish smile on my face. I’m finally able to get my revenge.

\-----------------------------

An hour has past and we are ready to take off. I’m walking through the hallway leading to my bedroom. In need to pack a few things before leaving for Sweden. Sadly, my powers are hardly enough to break through a Hydra facility. I need to take all the weapons I can get along with some medicine in case someone gets badly hurt.  
I open my door to see Loki already standing next to my window, looking at the blue sky. “Hey, Loki. Are you okay?” I ask a little confuse about the intrusion.  
“I just wanted to speak with you” he tells me, turning around to face me. “I don’t like the idea of you facing the scientists again” he confesses, his face emotionless.  
My blood begins to boil in my veins by hearing this.  
“And what am I supposed to do? Stay here and wait for your return? Loki, you know what they did to me! I need to be a part of the mission. I need to be the one making sure they are never going to touch a kid again by killing him with my bare hands!” I yell at him, my body trembling from anger.  
Loki doesn’t reply and stay in front of me, looking at me motionless like a statue. I slowly breathe in and out a few times to calm down.  
“I’m sorry. You know you can’t ask me to stay behind. There is no way you can hold me back. I’m going to face Hydra with all the team by my side and we are going to take them down, one by one.” I say in a more calmly but still stern tone. I look him dead in the eyes to make sure he understands how serious this topic actually is to me.

Loki finally moves closer to me with an almost proud smile on his face.  
“Then I’m going to make sure you stay safe this time, my dear friend” he says his blue eyes looking at me.  
I smile at him before reaching for his hand to hold. Instead of feeling his long fingers intertwining with mine, I find my hand going just right through them. The Loki standing in front of me is just an illusion.  
“What did you expect? I have my one bags to pack, little one” he smirks mischievously at me. He gives me a final wink before disappearing, giving me the time to put my suit on before meeting the team on the rooftop.

\--------------------------------

I take the seat across from Loki as the jet finally flies off and put my headphones on. I need to keep my mind free of what’s going to happend. The song “My Shadow” by Keane is currently playing on my Ipod and I look at Loki’s emotionless face, trying to figure out what he’s thinking about.

« Cause when your back's against the wall  
That's when you show no fear at all  
And when you're running out of time  
That's when you hitch your star to mine  
We won't be leaving by the same road that we came by... »

I start to get a strange feeling by hearing these lyrics. It’s like an invisible force is driving me to Loki. I can’t keep my eyes off of him and I can just admire how beautiful he looks with his black raven hair and blue eyes. His Asgardian armor makes him look like the god he is.

Feeling me staring at him, he turns his head towards me to look me in the eyes. I continue to fix him right back but he still doesn’t show any emotion. I know that something is bothering him deep down but I don’t want to push him so I just close my eyes, lining back in my seat and let it be for now. I’m sure he’s going to tell me when he feels like it.


	10. Chapter 10

I’m waiting outside in the snowy forest near the building with Loki standing next to me in his shinning green and golden armor. He is already holding his precious dagger in his right hand, ready to fight. We are both concentrated, our mind settled on the coming events.  
Our breath is the only thing breaking the heavy silence around us as we wait for the signal.

I’m starting to have a bad feeling again. It feels like I’m starting to understand that something bad is about to happened. Just as I’m beginning to get really scared, I feel Loki’s hand gently taking mine and squeezing it for comfort. The connection between us continues to surprise me. We don’t need to share a single word to know the other’s thought. That’s what I like so much about him. Sometimes it feels like it’s just me and him against the world.

I squeeze his hand in return and we both look at each other.  
“Everything’s going to be okay, Saralyn. We are going to end this all for good now.” He says looking me dead in the eyes with a serious expression and a sparkle in his eyes I can’t quite understand.  
I smile a genuine smile before feeling something warm in my stomach, making me feel like I’m just right where I belong.

That’s when we hear the signal. I let go of Loki’s hand and we jump out of the forest into the battlefield. Ice picks are slowly forming in my hands as I run towards the guards with Loki by my side. I start throwing the picks around me, touching the guards right in the chest like a killing machine. There are at least forty guards around us. I jump on one of them making him fall to the ground before slashing a giant ice pick into his heart. I’m letting go of all the anger I felt during the hours of torture back there with the scientists.

Loki and I are both covered in blood as we reach the entry of the building. We are supposed to sneak in and save all the hostage meanwhile the rest of the team continues to fight outside. “Can you handle the door? I think it’s locked” I ask Loki as I couldn’t open it.

“My dear, you’re speaking to the Trickster himself. Do you think I’m scared of a pathetic door?” He smirks at me with his annoying self-esteem making me roll my eyes but also laugh at his silliness. He waves his hand in front of the lock with a grace only he can manage in such a bad situation. Loki pushes the door open and gestures for me to enter.  
“After you, my queen”  
“Loki, please! Stop being so overwhelming annoying already!” I reply to cover the nervousness I feel by the nickname he gave me.

He chuckles and we finally enter the building. The hallway is dark and that I can’t see anything. “Hum... Loki? I need a little help again...”  
“What would you do without me?” He says behind me and I can hear the mischievous smirk in his voice. Suddenly, light shines in the hallway and I’m able to look at my surroundings. “Thank you!”  
“Anything for you, my love” he teases.  
I swear this god is going to be the death of me.

\-----------------------------------

Loki and I are checking every single room. It’s already been a while and we still found nothing. We decided to split up in order to move faster. I enter the second floor and open the first door to my left. My mouth is left wide open as I look around me. There are a dozen of beds along the wall, with children lying on them. There are all about ten years old. Their eyes are close and I first thought that there are all asleep. I slowly come closer to the first bed and I can see that the children are actually connected to a pocket full of a strange liquid. Probably drug. The boy I’m standing next to has short brown hair and his clothes and face are covered in dust and blood. I look around me again to see that the other children share the same fate.  
“Guys, I need help out there and quickly.” There are dozens of children in there who needs to be taken out immediately” I speak in my earpiece.  
“Already on our way” I hear a few of them respond.

“Get out of here Saralyn and check all the other rooms while we bring the children out” Natasha orders me when she enters the room followed by Clint and Tony. I nod to her and go to do as instructed.  
A few minutes later, the children are all out and thankfully the other rooms were all empty.  
“Guys, the building is starting to collapse. Everyone out!” I hear Steve ordering as a sudden earthquake makes me fall on my back.  
“Loki? I haven’t heard a word about you in a while. Is everything alright?” I ask worriedly while I move to join him in the lowest floor.  
“I think I found the room where the scientists are hiding but I can’t unlock the door. They must use something to curb every kind of power. I can’t use my magic anymore and they are about to escape.” He replies frustration clear in his voice.  
“We can’t let them escape!! They are going to continue their work. Find other children to make tests. We can’t let that happen!” I start screaming in despair as I run down the stairs as fast as I can.  
“Then there is just one thing we can do.” I hear Loki saying in a low voice. “Saralyn get out of the building I have grenades left” he tells me through the earpiece.  
“Wait, no. You can’t do that, you won’t have enough time to get out. You’re going to die and I won’t let you” I say in a stern voice.  
“It’s our only chance. Look, I have done so many bad things in my life. Maybe this is my way to finally make everything right. I can’t let them go. Not after what they did to you. You were the only one giving me a chance when I thought there was no hope left.”  
“No, no, no Loki stop!! Please!!” I yell in despair.

That’s when it hits me. The bound I share with Loki is so strong that we are willing to give up everything for each other. He was always there for me whenever I needed someone by my side. He was there to save me when I was kidnapped. He was there when my father rejected me. He was there when I started to train again after my many injuries. He was there whenever I felt alone and powerless. I’m not going to fail on him now.

“Saralyn get out of here!! Now!!” I hear Tony yelling in my earpiece.  
“I’m sorry Tony, you gave me everything and I can’t thank you enough for being the one saving me when I was nothing but a monster in people’s eyes. Banner and you were like father to me and always will be” I reply in a shaky voice.  
“Saralyn!!! No don’t be stupid...” Tony continues screaming after me but I put my earpiece off and throw it to the ground. I need to find Loki before it’s too late. He was there for me whenever I needed him and I didn’t even realize it until know. I just couldn’t leave him behind.

I start running as fast as I can to the middle of the building where Loki is supposed to start the bomb. Everything around me was dark and foggy so I could not really see where I’m heading. Thank god, I took my time to study every hallway of the building. The ground trembles but I continue running until I can’t breathe. The fog around me is slowly fading as I come to a stop coughing and breathing heavily.

Suddenly, I see a figure running towards me at the other end of the long hallway. I recognize Loki as my vision becomes clearer. The countdown has already started. It takes me all my strength to start running again. We are getting closer and closer every second. Pieces of the celling are falling on us, leaving even more scratches on our bodies already covered in blood and dust. We lock eyes and I can see distress but also love in Loki’s beautiful blue eyes. We both stretch our hands in front of us, continuing to run. Just as our fingers touch, I hear a terrible explosion and everything becomes black.

\--------------------------

The avengers are standing in the jet, looking out of the window at the exploding building. Every single one of them has tears in his eyes as they realize that you both gave up your life to save children from an unbearable fate.

 

The End


End file.
